A look at the Defence news, 17 – 23 October

News item | 26-10-2016 | 14:38

Dutch military personnel on board the Royal Netherlands Navy vessels HNLMS Holland and HNLMS Pelikaan lent emergency aid in Haiti this past week. The ships concentrated their efforts on the west coast of the island, where emergency aid goods had not yet reached all of the villages. The country was recently hit by a powerful hurricane, which claimed countless lives and caused considerable damage.

Royal Netherlands Navy vessels HNLMS Holland and HNLMS Pelikaan for the Haitian coast.

Royal Netherlands Army engineers and technicians from the HNLMS Holland patrol ship repaired the local hospital’s roof, while cleaning crews attempted to clear the wreckage and debris caused by the hurricane. In the town of Chardonnières, more than 100 buckets containing personal hygiene products were distributed among the local population. Personnel from the Navy´s Hydrographic Service mapped the seabed and determined whether ships could safely moor in the harbours of various coastal towns.

Hennis shares her vision with German Army leadership

On 17 October, Minister Hennis spoke before the German Army leadership in Berlin. Her message was clear: in these times of uncertainty, polarisation and fragmentation, unified action is crucial. The military leadership was joined by German politicians and top-ranking officials from the business community as they listened to Hennis explain how she believes in taking a practical approach to the current developments in a fast-changing world.

Missing man formation at Formula 1 race

On 23 October, Dutch attack and transport helicopters flew a different kind of mission than usual above Austin, Texas. 3 Apache and 2 Chinook helicopters carried out a fly-past over the Circuit of the Americas Formula 1 track before the start of the United States Grand Prix, as a tribute to all fallen military personnel worldwide. The fly-past included what is known as the missing man formation, in which one aircraft breaks off from the formation. The resulting gap in the formation symbolises the fallen.